“Schools, both primary and secondary, have received a supply of products that are to be made freely available to anyone who needs them, regardless of whether it’s for a one off emergency or on a regular basis and, crucially, this includes allowing for school holidays.

Councillor Julia Marrs, the council's Spokesperson for Youth, said: “This is a commitment to support the equality, dignity and rights of young people to ensure that any lack of access to sanitary products does not impact on anyone’s ability to fully participate in education.”

The initiative is assisted by funding from the Scottish Government and also supporting its launch in South Lanarkshire was Linda Fabiani MSP.

She said: “It is wonderful to see this happening and is an inspiration and an example to others as this vital initiative is rolled out in areas right across Scotland.”

Lynn Sherry, the council's head of Education Resources, said: “We very much welcome this initiative in the interest of equality and opportunity for all. No young person should be held back from being able to access education.

“It is great to see that all schools in the area are working with pupils and staff to identify how best to make these products freely available while protecting their dignity and avoiding anxiety, embarrassment and stigma.”

Chloe Carmichael, a member of the Scottish Youth Parliament, added: “This is something I have been working on for a long time. It is something that is really needed for many reasons, and so it is great to see it starting to become a reality to help girls with such an important matter.